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Bob Mercer

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PIERRE -- State senators gave unanimous approval Friday afternoon to keep Big Stone school district eligible for state aid, despite enrollment below the threshold of 100. HB 1097 now heads to Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who is expected to sign the legislation into law. Rep. Fred Deutsch, R-Florence, sponsored the bill on behalf of Rep. John Wiik, R-Big Stone City, whose children attend the school. Sen.

PIERRE -- A fiscal note prepared by the state Legislative Research Council shows a potential savings for state government if a youth minimum wage of $7.50 is adopted for South Dakota. State government's annual payroll costs for employees would be reduced by an estimated $27,325, according to the two-page document. South Dakota voters increased the state minimum wage to $8.50 per hour, with an annual inflation adjustment, in the Nov.

PIERRE -- South Dakota school districts could help fund public technical institutes by earmarking a fraction of their capital-outlay taxes they otherwise spend on their own buildings and programs, under a plan endorsed Wednesday by the state House of Representatives. Rep.

PIERRE -- South Dakota needs to expand its open meetings law to keep pace with the digital age, the state House of Representatives decided Wednesday. House members voted 47-22 to treat votes taken by public bodies using text messages, e-mails and other electronic communications as teleconference meetings. "We should catch up with what is happening out in the world," Rep. Al Novstrup, R-Aberdeen, said. He was prime sponsor of the measure, HB 1153, which was supported by the South Dakota Newspaper Association.

PIERRE -- A possible candidate for the 2018 Republican nomination for governor took control of a Democratic-sponsored piece of legislation Tuesday and turned it into a tool for raising property taxes to fund public technical institutes. Rep. Mark Mickelson, R-Sioux Falls, did the maneuver in the House State Affairs Committee. He inserted into the Democrats' bill his amendment that would allow South Dakota school districts in some cases to use capital outlay taxes for technical institutes. The measure, HB 1218, comes to a vote in the House of Representatives today.

PIERRE -- The Legislature's strong feelings against anything connected to expanding video lottery came through again Tuesday. The Senate shot down an attempt by Sen. Dan Lederman, R-Dakota Dunes, to change the maximum number of terminals to 15 per establishment. The limit shall remain 10, the Senate decided. The vote was 21-13 against the measure, SB 139. Lederman said there wouldn't need to be an overall increase in machines. He said the goal was to allow establishments to invest in more of the new versions of the machines. Sen.

PIERRE -- A majority of state senators gave their blessing Tuesday to establishing a taxpayer-subsidized school choice program in South Dakota to assist private schools and home schools. Under the plan, 90 percent of taxes normally paid by an insurance company to the state treasury could be given instead to non-profit organizations for the new program that would start in 2017. It would split the money 50-50 to pay for scholarships for low-income students to attend private K-12 schools and to provide $250 grants for classroom teachers, including parents who home-school their children. The vo

PIERRE -- A handful of senators changed their minds from last week and voted Tuesday to approve a sales-tax exemption for VFW and American Legion baseball coaches in South Dakota. The Senate roll call was 22-13 in favor of SB 159, which now goes to the House of Representatives. The state Revenue Department opposes the legislation. The bill's prime sponsor is Sen. Brock Greenfield, R-Clark.

PIERRE -- Hunters, anglers and trappers caught trespassing across private land while on their way to other land. could lose their South Dakota sportsmen-licensing privileges for one year if convicted, under a proposal making its way to the state Senate. Lobbyists for the South Dakota Wildlife Federation and the South Dakota division of the Izaak Walton League of America testified Tuesday against the legislation, Senate Bill 129. But the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee sided with the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and endorsed the measure 8-0. Sen.

PIERRE -- South Dakota cities want the power to levy an additional sales tax to pay only for municipal projects. State senators voted 19-14 Monday to grant that authority. The legislation, Senate Bill 135, now goes to the House of Representatives. The South Dakota Municipal League is leading the charge for its passage. How the bill might fare in the House is unclear. What does seem certain is continued opposition from Gov.